For anyone interested in the Royal Institution's Christmas Lectures, currently being shown on successive evenings on BBC4, it's worth noting that whilst they'll be available on BBC iPlayer for the usual week after broadcast, they'll then be available worldwide on the Ri's own site. If you're unfamiliar with them, you might want to give them a try - it's proof that TV can be both fun and scientific. (I've never agreed with the concept of TV, or films, being somewhere you go to put your brain on hold. Consider the swordfighting in The Princess Bride - it was authentically choreographed, and I'd say, all the more plausible, and entertaining, for that. Not many would know a completely faked duel, but that verisimilitude did add to the whole)

Of course, it's hardly a scientific survey, but I found it noteworthy that in the responses to my poll, there turned out to be quite a few DSLRs - half of the respondents, in fact! For a long time, I'd thought DSLRs were strange, exotic beasts, but they do seem to be emerging into the mass marketplace, as evidenced by Nikon and Canon advertising on TV for their lower-end DSLRs, not just the compacts. (I wonder if there'd be any point in a furry_photographers community.. Flickr's way of letting you see your friends' photos has always seemed inferior to LJ's)

Aeth spotted this multi-part comic tale, a rather good Doctor Whoof story, with the Doctor sounding surprisingly plausibly like the Doctor we know. It deals in the return of one of the more scary monsters, who've been able to extend their reach even further. I should, however, caution you that it's not complete yet - but it is ongoing; with its popularity, I doubt it's going to see abandonment. =:D

It's very early days yet, but the first baby steps have been made into opening up Nikon's DSLR firmware. ^_^ The format used by some of the more recent models, including the D5100 (but not, as yet, the D90) has been cracked, and as a proof of concept, a version released with various menu titles changed into a Star Wars theme. ^_^; There's a forum now up, Nikon Hacker, for people interested in assisting the effort.

avon_deer spotted one of the odder stories of the year, in which a seaside town near Blackpool is periodically - as on Wednesday - blanketed in a thick foam, whose nature remains unknown, though theorised to be the product of algal decomposition.

Photographic evidence of a wild giant panda eating a deal antelope, in a forest in southwestern Sichuan. Is this a new discovery? I recall that whilst red pandas - though no longer considered to be in the same taxonomic family - are primarily bamboo eaters, they'll also make forays into eggs and small mammals.

On the GoDaddy front, I see they're feeling the heat sufficiently to erect new hoops for customers to jump through, if they're seeking to become former customers - now, you'll have to provide a copy of photo ID too!

Finally, knowing I'll - pending completion of the application process - be moving into an unfurnished place, I was able to go ahead with picking up a couple woks and assorted utensils, making possible my first real cooking in about a month. ^_^; Nothing sophisticated, but a blessed change from pre-made meals just augmented with extra meat/vegetables (at most!) - some sliced up chicken breast, carrots, baby corn, chestnut mushrooms, oyster sauce, smoked paprika, and various other herbs, plus thin egg noodles. =:9 Stupidly, though, I didn't remember to buy any minced garlic, having just used up the last. It's a bit of a cheat, but so very convenient. Still, I probably ought to just get a garlic press - although, having tried black garlic, I wonder if just preserving it that way might not work better - though it does become quite mellow by that point. Delicious, though!

Aaaaagh.. I don't mind if people feel they have to abandon a project - gods know, there are all manner of pressing reasons that are more important than a time-consuming fan project - but it's such a pity when there's not even a "sorry guys, it's not happening". Still.. the meme's circulating widely enough now that it's (hopefully!) just a matter of time. =:)

BTW, did you see this anime Doctor Who episode? A full ten minute production, and animated by one person! (And as a bonus, even has a sort of Cyberman TF sequence)